Population

147,000 (1994 I. Larsen BTL). Population includes 128,000 Samburu, 19,000 Chamus.

Region

Samburu District, and south and east shores of Lake Baringo , Baringo District, Rift Valley Province (Chamus).

Alternate names  

Sambur, Sampur, Burkeneji, Lokop, E Lokop , Nkutuk

Dialects

Chamus (Ilcamus, Njemps). Lexical similarity 94% to 88% with Chamus, 89% to 77% with Maasai, 59% with Ngasa (Ongamo), 82% between Chamus and Maasai.

Classification

Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Nilotic, Eastern, Lotuxo-Teso, Lotuxo-Maa, Ongamo-Maa

Language use

The El Molo mainly speak Samburu now, a slightly different dialect.

Language development

Literacy rate in first language: below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: Samburu: 15% to 25%, Chamus: 41%.

Comments

Nomadic. Pastoralists: cattle, goats, sheep. Samburu: traditional religion, Christian; Chamus: traditional religion, Christian.